Effect of tuftsin on the functional activity and intracellular pH of murine peritoneal macrophages

The effect of tuftsin and its tripeptide analog in various concentrations (from 0.001 to 10.0 μg/ml) on phagocytosis and on the intracellular pH is studied in murine peritoneal macrophages. Tuftsin causes a uniform dose-dependent increase of these two parameters in the cells. This effect is maximally pronounced at concentrations of the peptide close to its physiological level (about 0.3 μg/ml) and gradually decreases as its content in the incubation medium is lowered or raised. On the other hand, the tripeptide analog of tuftsin does not exhibit such an effect on the cells and under the same conditions suppresses phagocytosis and acidifies their intracellular medium. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 117, N ^o 3, pp. 265–267, March 1994 Presented by I. P. Ashmarin, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences